View source for Prereleases

==Remaining prototypes to document==
This post is just to run off what may need to have pages for completion purposes, based on what's documented over on Hidden Palace:
*[https://hiddenpalace.org/Sonic_Labyrinth_(May_25,_1995_prototype) ''Sonic Labyrinth'' (1995-05-25 prototype)] - apparently identical to the US final build
*[https://hiddenpalace.org/Tails_Adventure_(Review_Prototype) ''Tails Adventures'' (review prototype)] - completely identical to the final build
*[https://hiddenpalace.org/Sonic_X-treme_(V40_prototype) ''Sonic X-treme'' (V40 prototype)]
*[https://hiddenpalace.org/Sonic_X-treme_(Jul_14,_1996_prototype) ''Sonic X-treme'' (1996-07-14 prototype)]
*[https://hiddenpalace.org/Sonic_Adventure_2:_Battle_Review_(Nov_29,_2001_prototype) ''Sonic Adventure 2: Battle'' (2001-11-29 prototype)]
*[https://hiddenpalace.org/Sonic_Adventure_2:_Battle_(Review_prototype) ''Sonic Adventure 2: Battle'' (review prototype)]
*[https://hiddenpalace.org/Sonic_Rivals_2_Test_Sample_(Oct_8,_2007_prototype) ''Sonic Rivals 2'' Test Sample (2007-10-08)]
*[https://hiddenpalace.org/Sonic_Rivals_2_Pre-Production_(Oct_22,_2007_prototype) ''Sonic Rivals 2'' Pre-Production (2007-10-22)]
Most of these are late prototypes, and the ones I may not be so sure about are the Game Gear ones as they are practically identical to the final builds (we did document alternative final builds of Sonic 3 though, and some other prototypes documented here are virtually identical to the final). Should we document those? --[[User:BSonirachi|BSonirachi]] ([[User talk:BSonirachi|talk]]) 15:16, 22 February 2021 (EST)
:Might as well - there's only a few
:They don't have to be super detailed things with comparisons and omnis and whatever. Just "this is a thing that exists". -[[User:Black Squirrel|Black Squirrel]] ([[User talk:Black Squirrel|talk]]) 02:59, 23 February 2021 (EST)
::Rightyo. The pages will be up over time. At the time of writing this I've already done Labyrinth.

::I'm also thinking that if build dates are favoured for page titles, I'm thinking I could append build dates to prototypes that have confirmed build dates, like the Sonic Mega Collection prototype and the Sonic Advance 3 prototype. Also, there's the concerns I had for [[Talk:Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (alpha)|the two Sonic 2 prototypes from Sonic Month 2019]] which I brought up months ago. What's the word on these? --[[User:BSonirachi|BSonirachi]] ([[User talk:BSonirachi|talk]]) 13:57, 23 February 2021 (EST)

== Proposed change to naming scheme ==

Because I can't be bothered to maintain them anymore, I'm converting the Omni templates on Sega Retro to be a ''fully'' automated affair (there'll be some exceptions for special sub-pages but it'll be mostly done for you).

Sega Retro never had "prereleases", but now I'm making it official - it will be "demos" and "prototypes", and they'll be distinct things. Which isn't new - they've been technically distinct for a while.

That means each Omni will have two possible lists:
*a list of prototypes, i.e. unfinished versions of a game
*a list of demos, i.e. special, usually public-facing, content-limited versions of a game made for promotional purposes

Historically we've grouped the two under "prereleases", probably because there are annoying exceptions that we didn't want to deal with. But I think drawing a line in the sand on the release date causes problems - it's just as likely that a "demo" will be released ''after'' the main product, not just before (e.g. [[Sonic Adventure AutoDemo]] pre-dates the final game, [[Sonic Adventure Taikenban]] post-dates it). 4/5ths of our Sonic Adventure "pre-releases" are actually "post-releases".

There's awkwardness on the divide between "demo" and "prototype" (weren't all our Sonic 2 protos "demonstrated" in magazines???) but I'm thinking if the demo was mass produced and available for consumers to take home, we can distinguish it from unfinished builds that Sega closely guarded

I'd write more but it's late - have a think -[[User:Black Squirrel|Black Squirrel]] ([[User talk:Black Squirrel|talk]]) 18:07, 1 January 2023 (EST)
:If we were to make demos and prototypes distinct, would we categorise demos that weren't on discs? For instance, you have cartridge-based demos like the [[Sonic & Tails Jitsuenyou Sample]] and the [[Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure Taikenban]], and then you have digital demos like the Sonic Generations demos, the [[Sonic Colours (Nintendo DS) (demo)|Sonic Colours DS demo]] (may need renaming?) and the [[Sonic Forces Demo Version]].

:Sega Retro has "demo discs" as a category, but nothing for demos that aren't discs. --[[User:BSonirachi|BSonirachi]] ([[User talk:BSonirachi|talk]]) 08:54, 2 January 2023 (EST)